Sustainability means different things to different people and can certainly encompass a wide variety of activities. At Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA), we embrace the diverse interpretations of the term.

Providing reliable power to our eighteen member utilities means critical support services needed to provide a sustainable community are in place. Keeping wholesale electricity prices affordable means businesses in the community can grow and prosper while providing sustainable employment. We never lose sight of the important role reliable and affordable electricity plays in addressing that first definition of sustainability.

We are also keenly aware of the important role we play in addressing the second, environmentally-focused, definition of sustainability. For SMMPA, reliability, affordability and environmental responsibility create the three-legged stool that serves as the foundation of our Agency. It reflects what is important to us as an organization - but more important – it reflects what is important to the citizens of our eighteen member communities.

Click here to download our brochure, which highlights some of the activities that are part of SMMPA’s overall commitment to sustainability under both definitions.

Our ChangingGeneration portfolio

Since 2005, SMMPA has added signifcant wind and solar generation to its portfolio, while expanding its natural gas generation fleet and decreasing its coal generation.

community Impact

recycling

SMMPA is committed to recycling, both at an office-level and in its larger-scale construction efforts. For example, more than 600 tons of scrap steel was recycled during the Fairmont Energy Station construction in 2011.